In the recreational hunting and fishing industry, it is desirable to provide a platform ladder adaptable to be attached to a gunwale (upper edge of a side) of a boat. Such a ladder is typically used in duck hunting to allow a retriever to exit and enter a boat easily. Conventional such ladders are installed on the gunwale of the boat and positioned along an outside of the boat. A problem with the conventional such ladder is that the ladder being disposed on the outside of the boat protrudes beyond the gunwale of the boat to such a great extent that it makes transporting the boat on a trailer difficult. There is also a similar difficulty presented when motoring around trees, brush and other such objects which may be present in a typical duck hunting habitat.
Thus, there exists a need to provide a platform ladder for attachment to a gunwale of a boat which may be conveniently folded into the boat for storage and transport and folded out of the boat for use.
Prior ladders of this general type are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,537,949, 5,515,806, 4,823,910 and 3,980,157.